


Unconditionally

by ForceMage56



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse), Resident Evil - All Media Types
Genre: AU of an AU, AU what if story based off of One Shot by dark_and_terrible, Alternate Universe - Detectives, Alternate Universe - Noir, Angst, Birth Control Failure/Sabotage, Blood and Injury, F/M, Mystery, Serial Killers, Story takes place right after One Shot ch 21 Whiskey and Suspensions, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-11-04 16:12:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17901350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForceMage56/pseuds/ForceMage56
Summary: Ada stares down at the little red plus symbol as her vision starts to tunnel.How did this happen?





	1. No Regrets

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [One Shot](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18014126) by [dark_and_terrible](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dark_and_terrible/pseuds/dark_and_terrible). 



> I was reading One Shot by dark_and_terrible and then this particular plot bunny attached itself to my ankle and refused to be unwritten for a single second longer because apparently, I'm a sucker for someone-gets-pregnant-and-feels-like-they-can't-tell-anyone-and-runs-off-before-anyone-realises-what-going-on stories.
> 
> In this AU of an AU what-if scenario about a week after Ada is suspended, One Shot chapter 21 seriously go read One Shot you're going to be super lost if you don't, things go from bad to worse in a hurry and Ada does the only thing she thinks she can. She runs.

No.

_Are you really surprised?_

This isn't possible!

_Chances are what? 2%? It’s still possible. It can still happen._

This can’t be happening.

_Apparently, it did happen._

Why?

_You know where this came from, you know who the-_

NO!

Ada stares down at the little red plus symbol as her vision starts to tunnel.

_How did this happen?_

The only reason she even took the pregnancy test was that she was late and she wanted to eliminate that impossible possibility and write it off as stress. Now three tests and three little red plus symbols later she was curled up on the floor of her bathroom struggling to breathe.

She always used protection, always. She’s never had unprotected sex in her life. The chances of condom failure are minuscule but she can hardly deny that that is what must have happened. Not when the evidence is staring her right in the face.

She is pregnant.

The piece of plastic slips through her fingers and falls to the cracked and yellowing tile.

_What do I do? What do I do? Whatdoidowhatdoidowhatdoidowhatdoidowhatdoido!_

A knock on her door snaps her out of her stupor.

Ada scrambles to her feet, quickly snatching up the tests and shoving them under a couch cushion.

“Who is it?” She calls, careful to stay back from the door. She is still being hunted by whoever is committing those murders and the stakes are much higher now. God, she wishes she still had her gun.

“It’s Carlos. Are you alright? We were supposed to meet over an hour ago.”

What!? Ada spins to look at the old clock resting on the coffee table. He’s right, damn it.

Ada peeks through the peephole just to confirm it is Carlos before opening the door.

“I’m sorry, I lost track of time,” Ada explained carefully trying to keep her voice steady and failing miserably.

Carlos gives her a worried look, “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I-” A crash from behind her has her spinning around only to freeze up in horror.

The Colonel had jumped on the couch, up-ending the cushion and sending those three damning pieces of plastic clattering to the floor. That red plus all but screaming her fate to whoever would listen.

“Are those-” she hears Carlos begin only as the far off sound of a voice from down the hall cuts him off. The noise is still past the turn in the hallway, not close enough to see them but approaching fast.

“-don’t give up hope Leon, her apartment is right across from yours, it’s not like she can avoid you forever.

A tired sigh and a voice she would know anywhere, “I guess you have a point.”

_No_

Adrenaline shoots through her system just a step faster than she can panic. She yanks Carlos into her apartment and closes the door as quickly and quietly as she can.

She rests her forehead against the door and listens as the sounds of their footsteps grow louder, then the sound a door opening and closing, then one set of retreating footsteps, then silence. She chances a glance through the peephole. Just an empty hallway and a closed door.

Ada finally lets out the shaky breath she didn’t realize she was holding. That was too close.

She tenses up as she hears footsteps behind her, or maybe she had just managed to dodge a bullet only to fall on a knife.

“I’m guessing this is what made you lose track of time?”

Ada slowly turns around to see Carlos holding one of the pregnancy tests. Ada stares at that little piece of red and white plastic, unable to look him in the eye. She doesn't want to see the look on his face. A part of her notes that the cushion is back in place and the two other tests are now sitting next to each other on the coffee table.

“Ada?” Something in his tone makes her look up, there’s no look of disgust or anger on his face. Just… Concern?

“Ada, are you ok? Do you need help?” The ever-present teasing tone that she had come to associate with him is gone.

“I- what?” Ada says trying to comprehend what he’s saying.

“Do you need help? There’s this free clinic not too far from here. They’ll keep everything completely confidential and-”

“Wait- I just, stop.” She cut him off. Desperately trying to regain her bearings. “Why are you doing this, we aren’t, we didn’t even-”

The date that they had gone on a week ago didn’t make it past first base. He had put two and two together and was happy to keep her company as she tried and failed to drink away the pain of a broken heart.

Since then they had met up a few times to talk and drink, she did most of the drinking and he did most of the talking. God knows that she didn’t lack for free time after being suspended and drinking alone got old _real_ fast.

Not that drinking was an option right now. That sobering thought easily snapping her back to the present.

“Why am I offering to help you even though we aren’t dating and there’s no way that kid is mine?” Carlos asks, setting the pregnancy test on the table next to the others. “Ada, look at your hands.”

Ada glances down at her hands, staring blankly at the diagonal lines of red that cut across her hands.

Blood, her mind supplied helpfully. She had held on to that test until it cut into her skin and blood ran down her hands and she hadn't even noticed.

“The second I saw those I knew something was really wrong. Here.” Carlos is suddenly right in front of her holding disinfectant and gauze, probably got them from the med kit that lives on the kitchen counter.

Ada allows him to lead her over to the couch and bandage up her hands.

Carlos deposits the leftover medical supplies on the coffee table as Ada stares blankly at her hands.

“Your reaction earlier-” Carlos starts.

“Which one?” Ada asks tiredly.

“Right before you pulled me in here.”

Ada closes her eyes, suddenly feeling more tired than she’s felt in months.

“Leon’s the father, isn't he.” There isn't a trace of a question in his voice.

“Yes.” Her voice breaks on that one word. That admittance shattering any semblance of control she had.

Tears streamed down her face as everything comes crashing down on her. She feels strong arms cautiously wrap around her and she clings to him.

She cries, she fucking sobs into his arms for God knows how long and a part of her hates herself for it.

The rest of her doesn't care. This is just too much. Everything that’s happened, she finally let her walls down only to let her own actions ruin everything, got her partner shot, been rejected by him again, gotten suspended and now this. All in the same month. She just can’t hold it in anymore.

Finally, the tears stop, the panic stops, the fear stops.

She knows what she has to do.

“I need to get out of this city.”

It’s the only option. She doesn't know if she’s even going to get her job back, that murderer is still out there and they know where she lives, and Leon...

She can’t tell him, he had just got out of the hospital despite being shot only a week ago and… and there is no way he wants anything to do with her, not really. She was the one who destroyed their fledgling relationship, why couldn’t she have just left that stupid letter alone? Not that it matters anymore, he rejected her, it’s probably for the best. Those multiple unheard and deleted voicemails don’t mean anything, he’s just a good person who feels guilty and she doesn't need his pity.

“Need help with that?” Carlos, of course.

“Maybe,” Ada admits reluctantly. Already planning how to get out of the city as quickly as possible with as few people knowing as possible. His help might mean the difference between a clean getaway and everything crashing and burning. Which seemed to be her specialty at the moment if how the last month had gone is any indication.

He grins. “What do you need?” 

* * *

 

2 days later:

Ada steels herself as the precinct building stares down at her. The last step in operation Get the hell out of dodge. Depending on who she runs into she’ll either make it in and out completely unnoticed or have to make a run for it. With her luck, probably the second one.

No point in putting it off any longer. Ada takes a deep breath and walks through the doors.

She makes it to Barry’s office with only a few odd looks. He’s not there and the precinct is almost empty. She managed to time her visit to his lunch break. Hopefully, by the time he gets back, she will be long gone.

Ada sets her letter of resignation on the desk. She takes one last look around Barry’s office before heading to clean out her desk.

She wishes that she could tell him that she’s leaving in person but she can’t risk it. This is too important to mess up, it’s bad enough Carlos is involved. She’ll find some way to let Barry know that she’s safe once she’s outside the city limits but for now speed and secrecy are key.

She quickly cleans out the few items of importance she kept at her desk. Stuffing them into her bag before making a beeline for the door.

She’s just reached the lobby when- “Didn’t expect to see you back here so soon.”

Ada bites back a sigh, “Redfield” He’s not the worst person to run into at the moment but it definitely would have been better not to. “Shouldn’t you be out celebrating?” she asks tiredly.

“Celebrating? What are you talking about?”

“I just turned in my resignation. I’m sure most of the force will be partying it up tonight now that I’m gone so please don’t wait to drink Biohazard dry on my account. Hell, take Leon with you. God knows he’ll be just as thrilled to see me go.”

With that, she walks away. She makes it through the doors before Chris’ thoroughly confused “What!?” reaches her ears. She hails a cab and doesn't look back.

* * *

 

Carlos is waiting for her at the bus station with her suitcase, cat carrier, and ticket ready.

She has still yet to decide if the fact that she can fit everything she owns into one suitcase is sad or not but at the moment she can’t deny that it is definitely useful.

“Got everything?” Carlos asks as she gathers her things.

“Yes,” She says after doing a quick inventory check. The lack of her gun or badge weighs on her more than she would like to admit. “Thank you, Carlos.”

“The pleasure’s all mine, detective.” He grins as she rolls her eyes at his use of her old title. “Hey, if you really want to thank me I hear that Carlos is a good baby name.”

She actually laughs. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

The old tinny speakers announce that the last bus of the night is now boarding. Time to go.

She says goodbye to Carlos and boards the bus.

She watches as the buildings and perpetually rainy streets fade away. The urban area turns into long stretches of farmland.

It’s not long before they are speeding past the city limits. Leaving Raccoon City as nothing more than a fading memory. 

* * *

16 years later:

_And yet here I am again._

Ada watches as the welcome sign rolls past. She’s come back to the one place she had sworn to herself that she would never return. She had been tense the entire bus ride but it hadn't fully hit her until she saw that sign. She’s really going back to Raccoon city. To the city that she had all but run out of with who knows what on her heels.

This could go wrong in a thousand different ways.

Still, it’s worth it.

“So this is Racoon City?”

Chelseá Wong, 15 years old and the only good thing Ada’s ever done in her life, stares out the window of the bus with a bored look on her face.

“Is it always this rainy? It feels like we just crossed into one of those old black and white noir films.”

The corners of Ada’s mouth tick up in a smile. “You get used to it.”

Chelseá glances over at her. “You lived here before I was born, right? You were a detective.”

“I was,” Ada answers evenly. That had been everything she had told Chelseá about her life before she had left Raccoon city. Now that they were headed back she had expected that these questions would pop up sooner than later.

“You never told me why you left.” Chelseá say carefully. Curious and more than a little worried.

“There was nothing to keep me there,” Ada answers truthfully, “Once I learned that I was pregnant with you, I realized that I had no reason to stay and every reason to leave.”

Chelseá was silent for a moment, then. “Mom, we don’t have to go there. We can switch buses at the next stop and-”

“No,” Ada cuts her daughter off before she can continue. “This is too important.”

Chelseá shakes her head, “Seriously, Mom there are other competitions I can compete in-”

Ada places her hands on her daughter’s shoulders. “No, this is a huge opportunity for you. You’ve been looking forward to this all year. I’ll be fine. It’s all ancient history now, anyway.”

“Statute of limitations has passed?” Chelseá asks, her humor returning.

Ada laughs, “Something like that.” It might even be true. She didn’t exactly leave on good terms with _anyone_.

Chelseá giggles and returns to staring out the window at the rain-drenched city. Ada rests her head back against the headrest and closes her eyes.

Almost 16 years later and she’s back in the city that she had left without a backward glance.

This city nearly killed her once and now here she was giving it another chance to finish the job.

_It has been 16 years. Maybe no one remembers me. Maybe things will go smoothly and we’ll be in and out of the city without issue._

* * *

 

An unknown amount of time later:

_Get in and out smoothly? Who the fuck was I kidding? Fuck!_

There’s so much blood.

Chelseá keeps pressure on the bullet wound and shouts something that Ada can’t hear. Her vision is steadily tunneling and all noise becomes muffled as oxygen fails to reach her brain. Blood is steadily filling her lungs. The bullet is still lodged somewhere inside of her but she’s too numb to tell where. She can feel her body shutting down, she knows she’s done. This city finally killed her.

The last thing she sees is her daughter’s face before the darkness closes in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> She's not dead I promise don't shoot me I can't write the next chapter if I'm dead!


	2. Long Awaited Returns

16 years. How has it been 16 years already?

Leon flips through the file again even though he knows it by heart. It’s been a cold case for years, almost as soon as it had opened. The disappearance of Ada Wong.

She vanished overnight. Apartment packed up and a resignation letter on the Chief’s desk before anyone had realized she was leaving. Multiple cameras and Chris confirmed that she had left the letter and gotten into a cab. The cab driver confirmed that he dropped her off at the East City bus terminal but none of the few working CCTV cameras had caught her and there was no record of a ticket under her name. They had canvassed all other potential exits to the city in case she was trying to use a different route to throw someone off her trail but it was the same at the train station and the other bus stations. Her entering that cab was the last time anyone had seen her.

They had questioned everyone and anyone who might have known what happened to her. It wasn't until a week after her disappearance did they finally got some answers.

“Yeah, I saw her that day.”

Leon’s head snaps up. “You did?! Where?”

He hadn’t been expecting much when they brought Carlos in for questioning but he and Ada had been seen together at Biohazard multiple times in the week before her disappearance and they were running out of leads.

Carlos leans back in his chair. “At the East City bus terminal, right before she got on a bus out of town.”

“Wait,” The Chief steps forward. He had been right there in the background for every interrogation, this is the first time he’s said anything. “You were at the bus station?”

“Yup,” Carlos says sounding more than a little bored. “She said she was leaving Raccoon City and then got on the last bus of the night. I haven’t seen her since.”

“Leaving? Did she say why?” Leon asks trying to wrap his head around this new revelation.

Carlos gives him dry look. “Why? She had just lost her job and had her heart broken on top of that. It’s not like she had any reason to stick around.”

Leon glances over at Barry who looks equally surprised and confused. “She told you that she had lost her job?” Leon asks trying not to think about the second half of that sentence.

“She said that she resigned before you guys could fire her.” Carlos shrugs. “Guess she considered it a done deal and wanted to leave on her own terms.”

“Shit.” Barry hisses under his breath.

Leon privately echoes the sentiment. Even if Ada had thought that she was going to get fired why would she leave the city? She’s not one to leave things undone, the Graham case and the umbrella murders case were still open. Would she really leave with her work unfinished?

No, she wouldn’t.

They continued questioning Carlos for another hour. His story stayed the same.

It was sheer luck that they were able to get ahold of the bus driver that night who confirmed that she had gotten on the bus and that that bus had been headed to Memphis, one of the biggest transportation hubs in the country. The trail ends there.

Her disappearance had become a cold case in under a month.

Claire had to haul him home from Biohazard that night and he only remembers half of it.

Leon closes the file and pulls out the only piece of evidence they have. A letter addressed to Cheif Burton that had arrived a little over a month after she had disappeared with no return address. Forensic confirmed that the prints and the handwriting were Ada’s. He has it all but memorized by now.

_ Barry, _

_ I’m sorry for leaving like this but I didn’t want to drag this out. I’m not getting my job back, not after what happened and I’m not about to pretend otherwise. I know when I’ve hit rock bottom, God knows I’ve done it enough times. I know when it’s time to get up and move on. Don’t bother looking for me, you know better than anyone that I know how to disappear, and I don’t plan on coming back. _

_ I just wanted to thank you for everything. Take care of yourself. _

_ Ada _

Leon lets the plastic-encased paper fall to the desk as he rests his head in his hands. He’s read that letter over and over looking for some clue, some message she could have left. She wouldn’t just leave like that, something must have made her run. Something big. He just needs to figure out what and then he might have some clue as to where she’s gone.

_ She had just lost her job and had her heart broken on top of that. It’s not like she had any reason to stick around. _

Carlos’ word ring through his head again. One possibility that he really didn’t want to admit but it had been weighing on him every time he reopened her file.

_ She couldn’t have left because of me, could she? _

“I thought I might find you in here.”

Leon looks up to see his partner, Claire, standing in the doorway of the record room. “That time of year.” Leon sighs putting the evidence back in its box and putting it back on its shelf. “I don’t suppose you’ve heard anything.”

Claire shakes her head. “No, I would tell you if I did. I know how much she means to you.”

“I know,” Leon says tiredly as he leaves the room. Claire falls in step beside him.

“So you pulled the short straw again, huh?” Leon asks as they make their way through the precinct's deserted hallways.

“Someone has to make sure you get home in one piece and not end up passed out at Biohazard again.” Clare shoots back as if she doesn't do this every year.

“Who’s on the Chief?” Leon knows the anniversary is even harder on Barry. Ada was his daughter after all.

“Chris volunteered. I think he still feels guilty over not stopping her when she came to turn in her resignation.” Claire says quietly. “I think there’s a lot of that going around right now.”

“Every year.” Leon sighs. Everyone knew that losing his partner hit him hard but there’s only so many sympathetic looks he can endure before he has to drink himself into a coma.

Claire eventually manages to wrestle him back to his apartment without stopping at Biohazard along the way and drinking his weight in cheap beer. She always insists on sleeping on his couch to make sure he doesn't leave and do something that he’s going to regret in the morning. At this point, he knows better than to argue with her. It’s become something of a yearly ritual.

That doesn't mean that he sleeps any better, though. All he can think about is Ada. He remembers the last time he saw her after he woke up in that hospital room. When he told her that he wanted to keep their relationship strictly professional.

All those walls that had slowly come down over their time working together were back up in an instant. She had given him a status update and then she was gone.

She said that she’d come back only she never did.

That was the last time he saw her.

_ I know when I’ve hit rock bottom. _

_ She had her heart broken. _

_ I know when it’s time to get up and move on. _

Leon growls and tries to find a more comfortable position. Tries to find a way out from under the guilt weighing him down. That one possibility that he never wanted to face but he couldn’t just dismiss.

Yes, he had been angry with her. Yes, he had every right to be. Finding that letter- At the time it had felt like the worst betrayal. He had worked so hard to leave that part of his life behind him and she just dug it up, literally. She probably didn’t think twice. He didn’t know if he could trust her anymore.

Now that he’s looking back, it all seems so small. Yes, he had been hurt but if they had just talked about it-

_ I did try to talk about it, remember? _

Ada’s voice rings through his head, angry and clipped.

_ I tried, I tried so hard to reach out to you. That entire time I never stopped trying to talk to you. You were the one shutting me out. You were the one who drove me away. You are never going to see me again and you have no one to blame but yourself. This is your fault! _

BANG

Leon bolts upright covered in sweat. He reaches for his gun before he registers the noise on the other side of the door.

“Leon!” Claire’s voice comes from the other side of the door as the knocking continues. “You need to wake up. The Chief just called. There’s been a shooting, we need to get to the hospital.”

Leon’s up and dressed in record time. They’re just about to leave when Claire stops.

“Oh, my God.” She whispers staring at her phone.

“What is it?” Leon asks worriedly.

“The incident report just came through,” Claire says hurridly like she can’t get the words out fast enough. “The person who was shot- Leon, it’s Ada.”

Everything stops.

“Ada?” He manages, “Is she-”

“She’s alive, but she’s still in surgery. Leon, they don’t know if she’s going to make it.” 

* * *

 

Claire flat out refused to let him drive. By the time they arrive at the hospital his nerves are well passed frayed.

The Chief is already there talking with Dr. Birkin when they arrive.

“-she wasn't conscious when she was brought in. Even if they do manage to stabilize her she won’t be awake anytime soon. Not with that amount of blood loss-” She stops when she sees them approach. “I was wondering when you would show up.”

“Are you sure it’s her?” Leon asks still trying to process that this is actually happening.

“She was identified by officers at the scene.” Chief Burton says. Leon can’t think of a time when he had ever heard the chief this tired. “I had our guys run all of her IDs twice, it’s her.”

Leon doesn't know whether to feel relieved or horrified that it’s really Ada fighting for her life right now.

“The report said that someone else was brought to the hospital with Ada. Are they still here?” Claire asks staying on topic.

Annette hesitates for a moment then, “Yes,” She says slowly, “Her daughter came in with her.”

Leon feels the world tilt off its axis.

“Daughter?!” Chief Burton demands, sounding as surprised and shocked as Leon feels.

Annette gestures a girl the waiting room.

She couldn’t be more than 15.

Her long black hair is pulled back into a french braid with a few loose strands framing her face. The black jeans and blue shirt she’s wearing are spattered with blood, only her black combat boots escaped. She’s slumped in her chair, unfocused blue eyes stare at her hands.

Hands that are stained red with blood.

“Jesus,” Burton whispers.

“She was there?” Leon asks mentally slamming a lid down on long-buried memories threatening to surface. “She saw it happen?”

Annette nods. Burton swears under his breath again.

“Did she give a name?” Claire asks.

Annette took a moment to dig through her paperwork. “Chelseá, Chelseá Wong.”

Burton glances at Annette in surprise before nodding. “Her mother’s name.” He says to himself as Annette is called away to assist with another patient.

“Do you want to talk to her?” Claire asks Barry carefully. “She is your granddaughter after all.”

Barry glances over at the bloodstained girl before shaking his head. “I don’t know what Ada’s told her about me or if she told her anything about me at all. No, I’ll keep my distance for now. We don’t want to spook her. She’s been through enough.”

“Alright then, I’ll talk to her.” Claire decides. “You two stay here, I’ll see if she remembers anything.”

Leon watches as Claire walks up to Chelseá. It takes her a few tries to get the girl’s attention, she’s clearly in still in shock.

“Did you know?” The Chief asks, his eyes not leaving Chelseá and Claire.

“No” Leon manages, “No, she never told me.”

_ Why didn’t she tell me? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, I'm such a terrible person :)


	3. Shock and Awe

_ There’s so much blood. _

_ It runs through her fingers and down her hands. Staining everything it comes in contact with. _

_ She can’t look away from the lines of red flowing through her fingers. _

_ People are moving around her but it’s all muffled, distorted. _

_ There’s too much blood. _

_ This is all my fault. _

“Chelseá?”

The voice breaks her out of her memories. Chelseá’s head snaps up.

“Yes?” She asks warily. Unsure what this woman wants with her.

“My name’s Claire Redfield, I’m a detective with the RCPD. I know this is a very difficult time for you but I need to ask you some questions about what happened.”

“Alright,” Chelseá says trying not to look at her hands. She doubts she’ll be able to look away again if she did.

Claire takes a seat beside her. “I’m sure she’s going to be just fine.”

“You don’t know that,” Chelseá says tiredly.

“I knew your Mom back when she was a detective here. She wouldn’t let something like this keep her down for long.”

Chelseá blinks in surprise. Her first thought is: Right, Mom was a detective here years ago. Of course, there’d be people there who remember her.

Her second thought is: Mom wanted to be in and out of the city without being recognized. She was scared about coming back here. This is bad.

“So what do you want to know?” Chelseá asks wanting to get this over with and away from the police as quickly as possible.

“Walk me through what happened. Step by step.”

“We had just gotten breakfast and were heading back to the hotel. We had just left the restaurant when-” Chelseá squeezes her eyes shut. “When Mom got shot. She collapsed immediately, for a second I thought she was- but she was still breathing. I pulled her back into the restaurant right before another bullet took out the window above us. The shots were coming from the building right across the street. I didn’t get a good look. I just kept my head down and tried to stop the bleeding-” Chelseá cuts herself off as her voice breaks.

She can’t get the taste of copper out of her mouth.

“You don’t have to say anymore,” Claire says softly as she closes her notepad.

Chelseá manages to nod. She’s not going to cry. She did enough of that already.

“Your Mom might not be out of surgery anytime soon. Is there anyone who can come stay with you while you wait?”

“No, it’s just the two of us. If she…” Chelseá takes a shaky breath and tries again, “If she dies I’ll become an emancipated minor. She didn’t want me ending up in the foster system.”

Claire looks surprised. “You don’t have any other family?”

“I have a grandfather but Mom hasn't spoken to him since before I was born. I don’t think he knows about me. I don’t know if he’d even take me in.”

“He’d take you in in a heartbeat,” Claire says immediately.

Chelseá glances at her in surprise. “You know him?”

“I do actually, he’s here if you want to talk to him.”

“I-” Chelseá tries to process this revelation.

Claire places a hand on Chelseá’s shoulder. “You don’t have to make any decisions now, God knows you’ve got enough on your mind. I just want you to know that you’re not alone here. Your grandfather is here and so’s your Mom’s old partner. I guarantee that neither of them is going anywhere until your Mom’s out of surgery and I’m not either. We’re here for you. I promise.”

Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

* * *

 

Leon watches Claire and Chelseá talk. Chelseá is clearly shaken but she seems to be holding it together.

She’s doing a lot better than he did.

Barry growls under his breath as he gets off the phone. “A report just came in, there was a burglary reported at a hotel downtown. The room where Ada and Chelseá were staying was broken into right after the shooting. The room was tossed and the safe was cracked but no money or valuables were taken.”

Damn it. “Then this wasn't some random incident. Someone is targeting her.”

“It gets worse. I had our guys pull her financial statements. They had only been in the city for three days and were planning to leave today. They had round trip tickets for a bus that left a few hours ago.”

“That’s not a lot of time to set up a hit,” Leon says slowly, trying not to stumble over that second part.

If this had never happened then he would have never known that Ada was in the city.

For a split second, he’s grateful for the shooting.

Then he watches Chelseá struggle to tell Claire what happened and he viciously shoves that thought down.

No matter how much he wants to see Ada again, this isn't worth it.

He turns back to Barry trying to stay on topic. “They weren't in the city long. Whoever did this is either really lucky or has a lot of resources.”

“Enough resources to drive her into leaving 16 years ago?” Barry asks clearly not too thrilled about the possibility.

“Maybe. Something just doesn't feel right. Even if she left because she was being threatened  _ and _ whoever made her run is behind this why would they try to kill her after all this time? We don’t even know why she left in the first place and the only person who can answer that is Ada.”

“If she’ll talk to us,” Barry says tiredly. “After the way she left, I doubt she's going to be quick to tell us anything.”

Leon had to agree with him on that. He remembers just how closed off and stubborn Ada can be. Just how long it took for her to warm up to him and stop pushing him away.

_ And in the end, it was you pushing me away. Ironic. _

Claire walks up to them before the guilt has a chance to sink its claws in.

“What did you find out?” Leon asks, happy for the distraction.

“Her story matches the crime scene report. Multiple shots from the building across the street. No visual on the shooter.”

“So we have nothing to go on?” Leon says feeling drained.

“At least until forensics is done processing the scene,” Claire confirms.

Barry sighs. “Alright, I’m stationing you two here to keep an eye on things until Ada is out of surgery. Once she’s stable we’ll-”

He stops, staring at something behind them. Leon turns to see Chelseá standing behind him.

If he had any doubts about her being Ada’s daughter they all vanished in that instant. With her this close it’s almost surreal how much she looks like Ada. She’ll be a dead ringer for her Mom when she’s done growing.

“Chelseá, did you need something?” Claire asks, ever quick on her feet.

“I-” Chelseá’s eyes flicker from Claire to Leon before landing on Barry. “You’re Barry, right?”

Barry blinks in surprise before shooting an accusatory look at Claire.

“I didn’t tell her anything,” Claire promises.

“She didn’t, Mom did,” Chelseá confirms holding up her phone. Leon does a double take at the picture on the screen.

The picture is of a young Ada and Barry at Ada’s high school graduation. Barry is grinning at the camera and even as Ada is rolling her eyes at her Dad’s antics she’s smiling.

“She hated that picture,” Barry says with a laugh. “She swore she’d burn every copy.”

Chelseá grins. “She must have kept one because it’s been on our mantel for as long as I can remember.”

“She framed it?”

“Yeah,” Chelseá hesitated, then: “She missed you. She wasn't happy with how she left but she didn’t feel like she had any other choice.”

“Did she say why?”

“Just that she had no reason to stay and every reason to leave.” Chelseá says before continuing, “She didn’t want to come back here, she was on edge the entire time. She tried to hide it but I could tell she was scared. She was so relieved that we were leaving and then-” Chelseá cuts herself off seemly unable to say more.

Leon and Claire share a glance. Scared? Claire mouths at Leon looking worried.

Why would Ada be scared to come back here?

“There you are,” Annette says walking up to them.

“How is she?” Chelseá asks, clearly on edge.

“They managed to stabilize her. She’s in recovery right now but she’s going to make it.” Annette assures her. Leon feels a weight lift off his shoulders. Ada’s going to be ok. Thank God.

“Can I see her?” Chelseá asks, light returning to her eyes.

Annette smiles at her. “Of course, she’s in room 6011.”

* * *

 

It takes every ounce of Chelseá’s thoroughly batted self-control not to run down the hallway.

It crumbles to dust the second she walks through the door.

“Mom!” Chelseá rushes forward.

She’s hooked up to a dozen different machines. The steady beeping coming off the various pieces of equipment should be grating but it manages to be comforting. Every tone and beep means that Mom’s still alive.

Chelseá can feel the steady pulse of life as she carefully takes her Mom’s hand in her own.

She can hear Barry talking with Dr. Birkin. She knows she should be paying attention to what they’re saying but she just can help it. All the adrenaline that has been keeping her going slowly drains away leaving her exhausted in every sense of the word.

She’s asleep before she realizes she closed her eyes.


End file.
